Sienna’s POV
Max had returned, but what surprised me more than his early arrival was the fact that he said nothing about Hester. Not a word, not a glance in my direction to acknowledge the chaos she’d already caused. It was as if she didn’t exist—or worse, as if her presence here was completely normal. I stewed in silence all evening, replaying her taunts in my head and waiting for Max to say something, anything, that would explain why she was here. He just ate dinner and afterwards, went to the pool out back for a swim. Hester, on the other hand, was somewhere in the house, surprisingly not taunting me – yet. She must have been cooked up in one of the rooms she had designated for herself. When it became clear he wasn’t going to bring it up, I decided to confront him myself. I found him in his room, seated on the edge of his bed, scrolling through his laptop. He didn’t even look up when I entered. “Max,” I said, crossing my arms. “Hmm?” he replied, his eyes still glued to the screen. I stepped closer, my voice firmer now. “Who is she, and why is she here?” That got his attention. He looked up, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Who are we talking about?” “You know who,” I snapped. “Hester. The woman waltzing around this house like she owns it.” “Oh,” he said casually, leaning back against the headboard. “Hester. What about her?” “What about her?” I repeated, incredulous. “Why is she here, Max? She’s making my life hell.” He closed his laptop and set it aside, his gaze locking on mine. “Sienna,” he said slowly, “what Hester does or doesn’t do is none of your business.” I blinked, stunned. “None of my—? Are you serious?” “Completely,” he said, his tone maddeningly calm. “She’s tormenting me!” I shouted. “She’s in my space, making snide remarks, treating me like I’m some kind of intruder.” Max tilted his head, a faintly amused expression on his face. “Maybe you shouldn’t let her get under your skin so easily.” I glared at him, my fists clenched at my sides. “This isn’t funny, Max.” “I’m not laughing,” he said, though his smirk suggested otherwise. “This is my home now,” I said firmly. “I deserve to feel safe here.” “Your home?” he repeated, standing up and stepping closer. His voice dropped as he looked down on me. My breath hung in my throat. “Let’s not forget, Sienna, you’re only here because of one reason—and it’s not to redecorate.” I swallowed hard, feeling both insulted and unnerved by the way he was looking at me. “You’re here,” he continued, his voice low, “to have this baby. That’s it. So why don’t you focus on what really matters?” I felt my face flush with anger and humiliation. “You’re unbelievable,” I muttered, turning on my heel and storming out of the room. The next day, Hester’s antics started before I’d even had my morning coffee. I walked into the kitchen to find her chatting with the chef, pointing at a tray of pastries. “These are just so... ordinary,” she was saying. “Don’t you think, Sienna?” I ignored her and poured myself a cup of coffee. “Oh, come now,” she said, her tone teasing. “You must have an opinion. Or is breakfast not part of your... acting repertoire?” I gritted my teeth. “Good morning to you too, Hester.” She smiled sweetly. “Good morning, darling.” Later, I tried to escape to the garden, hoping for some peace and quiet. But, of course, Hester found me. “I love this garden,” she said, strolling over as if she owned the place. “Max and I used to spend hours out here. Did he ever tell you that?” “No,” I said curtly. “Oh, he must have forgotten,” she said with a laugh. “Such a shame. We had so many... intimate moments out here.” I clenched my fists, biting back a retort. The final straw came that evening. I was sitting in the living room, reading a book, when Hester sauntered in, holding a glass of wine. “You know,” she said, sitting across from me, “you really should take better care of yourself. Stress isn’t good for you.” She said, eyeing me suspiciously. I looked up from my book, glaring at her. “What do you want, Hester?” “Just making conversation,” she said innocently. “After all, we’re housemates now, aren’t we?” I snapped the book shut, standing up. “That’s it.” Max was in his study when I barged in, Hester right behind me. “Max,” I said sharply. “This needs to stop.” He looked up, surprised. “What’s going on?” “She’s going on,” I said, pointing at Hester. “She’s driving me insane, and she needs to leave.” Hester gasped theatrically. “Me? Leave? That’s rich, coming from the woman who doesn’t even belong here.” “I belong here more than you do,” I shot back. “Enough,” Max said, standing up. “Both of you.” “She started it,” Hester said, crossing her arms. I glared at her. “You’ve been in my hair all day, making snide remarks and acting like this is your house.” “That’s because it is,” Hester said with a smirk. “No, it’s not!” I shouted. “Ladies,” Max said, his voice sharp. “Stop.” We both turned to him, waiting for his verdict. “Sienna stays,” he said firmly. “What?” Hester and I said in unison, though for completely different reasons. “Hester,” Max continued, his tone colder now, “you’re a guest here. Sienna is staying, and that’s final.” Hester looked like she wanted to argue, but she held her tongue, her eyes narrowing. I crossed my arms, still fuming but satisfied—for now. “This isn’t over,” Hester said under her breath as she stormed out. Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Do me a favour, Sienna—just try to avoid her.” “Maybe you should try controlling your ‘guests,’” I shot back. He gave me a warning look but said nothing, turning back to his desk.Sienna’s POVI woke up feeling lighter than I had in days, relieved that last night’s argument had at least settled one thing—I wasn’t going anywhere. Hester had been put in her place, and for once, Max hadn’t completely dismissed me. Maybe, just maybe, things would finally start getting better.That hope shattered the moment I picked up my phone.My notifications were in the thousands. Texts. Missed calls. Social media mentions flooding my screen like an unstoppable tidal wave. My stomach dropped as I clicked on the first article that popped up."MAXWELL HOLLANDALE'S FIANCÉE EXPOSED: SIENNA BROOKS—A GOLD DIGGER AND A HARLOT?"I froze. My fingers trembled as I scrolled down. Dozens of articles, all saying the same thing.Then I saw the pictures.Leaked. Everywhere.My heart slammed against my ribs. It was me—but it wasn’t me.The woman in the photos looked just like me, but I knew my own body, and I knew when something had been edited. These weren’t real.And yet, there they were. On
Max’s POVI woke up to the kind of chaos that would give most CEOs a heart attack. My phone was buzzing, notifications stacking up faster than I could clear them. Half-asleep, I swiped at the screen and immediately regretted it.The headline that stared back at me felt like a punch to the gut."SIENNA BROOKS POSTS HER OWN NUDE PHOTOS: WHAT IS SHE HIDING?"I sat up, scrolling furiously. Article after article. Picture after picture. The headlines were relentless. The comments were worse.What the hell was this?It didn’t take me long to figure out what had happened. Those weren’t real photos—any idiot could see they were edited. And there was no way Sienna had posted them herself. Someone had set her up.My jaw clenched as I tossed the phone onto the bed. I didn’t need to guess who was behind this. Hester’s fingerprints were all over it.Before I could think further, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Ben.“Max,” he said the moment I picked up. “Do you have any idea how bad this i
Sienna’s POVLiving with Hester was like being trapped in a house with a venomous snake—silent, lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. We stayed out of each other’s way as much as possible, but every time we crossed paths, the air thickened with hostility.The only good thing was that the wedding was fast approaching, and with Max away, I had become an unwilling but necessary part of the planning process. Moreover, it distracted me from people like Hester and other things that didn’t matter.It started with small things—meetings with florists, finalizing guest lists, reviewing seating charts. Every day, new visitors came to the house, and I was forced to smile and nod my way through endless conversations.Harry, thankfully, was my buffer.“Miss Brooks, we need to confirm the flower arrangements,” one of the planners, an overly enthusiastic woman named Deborah, chirped as she spread out pictures of bouquets on the coffee table.I blinked at the images. “They all look the sa
Max’s POVI made it to the news station the next day. It was an even bigger platform, thanks to Ben. The whole world was watching. The host, a sleek, well-groomed man in his forties, shook my hand with the kind of practiced enthusiasm that came from years of dealing with powerful men.“Maxwell Hollandale,” he greeted. “Welcome.”I gave him a polite nod and took my seat, the cameras already rolling.“Let’s get straight to it,” the host said, turning toward the camera. “The internet has been ablaze with controversy surrounding your fiancée, Sienna Brooks. The leaked photos, the supposed scandal—can you tell us where you stand on all of this?”I leaned back slightly, exuding the calm, collected persona I had perfected over the years. “It’s simple,” I said. “Sienna is my fiancée. I love her. And the attacks she’s facing are nothing more than ghosts from our pasts trying to haunt us.”The host raised an eyebrow. “Ghosts?”I nodded. “People from my past, people from hers—when you’re in the
Max’s POVThe rhythmic hum of the bus should have been soothing, but it only made me more restless. I sat near the window, staring out into the pitch-black night, the dim glow of the bus’s interior lights barely cutting through the darkness outside.Something was wrong.Harry’s call had been cut off before he could tell me what had happened. My phone was destroyed. My passport had conveniently disappeared. And now, here I was, stranded on a bus in the middle of nowhere, heading toward a wedding that someone clearly didn’t want me to attend.Coincidence? Not a chance.I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. My gut told me this wasn’t random. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure I didn’t make it back home.The question was—who?Was it Hester? My charming, psychotic ex who had been wreaking havoc the moment she walked back into my life? Or maybe Julian, my ever-so-clever younger brother who was suddenly interested in my affairs again?Hell, maybe it was someone from Sien
Sienna’s POVPain.That was the first thing I registered. A sharp, burning sensation shooting up my arm, a dull ache pounding in my skull. My eyelids fluttered, but the light was too bright, too harsh. Voices murmured around me, but they were distant, like they were coming from another world.“Sienna.”A familiar voice. Steady. Strong.I tried to open my mouth, but my throat was dry, my body heavy.“Sienna, stay with me.”I forced my eyes open, blinking against the blinding fluorescent lights. The first thing I saw was Harry, his face taut with concern as he hovered over me.“Harry,” I croaked.Relief flickered in his expression. “You’re awake.”I swallowed, my throat feeling like sandpaper. “What... happened?”Harry exhaled through his nose. “You don’t remember?”I tried to think, piecing together fragments of memory—the bath, the stinging pain, Hester’s smirk. My stomach twisted.“Hester,” I whispered.Harry’s jaw tightened. “Yeah. You walked right into her trap.”I closed my eyes
Max’s POVSabotage.That was the only explanation for everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. My missing passport. My stolen phone. The conveniently sabotaged bus. Someone was pulling strings to make sure I didn’t make it home today.Which meant I had to be smarter than whoever was playing this game.The driver had told everyone to stay inside for the night. “Best to just sit tight,” he had said. “No sense in wandering around in the middle of nowhere. We’ll get a mechanic out first thing in the morning.”And so, one by one, the passengers had settled in though many complaints emerged at first. The lights were dimmed, and people curled into their seats, using jackets and bags as makeshift pillows. The hum of low whispers faded into soft snores.I wasn’t planning on sleeping.Instead, I leaned back, watching the darkness outside. Every instinct in me screamed that staying here was a bad idea, but I didn’t have a better alternative—at least not yet.“Excuse me,” a vo
Max’s POVI crouched low, listening, my head pounding. Had I lost them?When was the last time I had to squeeze through for survival? A memory flashed through my head. Me… pressed in a car, pushed to my limit, my head bleeding and around me…Then, a voice from the distance and I flashed back to the present. “FIND HIM.”My breath came out shaky.This wasn’t over. Not even close. I needed to get out of here. And fast. Because whoever was behind this? They weren’t going to stop until I was dead.Slowly, I crept out of my hiding place and dove forward, running as fast as my legs could carry me. Then I kicked against something on the way and stumbled again, coughing and groaning as the pangs of pain spread around me.They had heard me. Pain. Exhaustion. Pure rage.I wasn’t sure which one was driving me forward anymore.The men chasing me had caught up fast, their silhouettes barely visible against the dim light of dawn creeping over the hills. My breath was ragged, my body sore from t
Max’s POV"Alright, let’s get this over with."I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie while Ben clapped me on the back. "You sound so thrilled," he teased, grinning."You do realize you're about to marry one of the most talked-about women in the country, right?" another groomsman, Kyle, added. "Biggest event of the year. And you're standing there like you're getting sentenced to life in prison."I smirked. "You act like I haven't been living in prison since this engagement started."The room burst into laughter."Come on, man," Ben said, sitting on the armrest of a couch. "You’re Maxwell Hollandale. We expected at least some excitement from you. I mean, there was more enthusiasm when you bought that god-awful sports car that lasted a month before you crashed it.""That was a great car," I muttered."It was orange," Kyle said flatly."It was bold," I corrected."It was hideous," Ben shot back.I rolled my eyes, but I had to admit, their banter made things easier.For a momen
Sienna’s POVThe hospital room had been cold. Sterile. Unforgiving.The fluorescent lights buzzed above me as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Every part of me ached, from my burned skin to the exhaustion that clung to my bones. But I didn’t have time to wallow.I had made a decision.I was getting married today.No matter what Hester had done, no matter what had happened to Max, no matter how much the universe seemed determined to stop this wedding—I wasn’t letting anyone take this from me.Harry had looked at me like I was insane when I told him.“You just got out of the hospital,” he had said, exasperated.“And?” I’d countered. “I’m still breathing, aren’t I?”He sighed, rubbing his temples. “You’re impossible.”I had smiled, despite everything. “So I’ve been told.”And with that, he had helped me get dressed, helped me walk out of that hospital, and helped me step back into the disaster of my life—ready to face whatever came next.When I got home, the first thing I saw was Ma
Max’s POVI crouched low, listening, my head pounding. Had I lost them?When was the last time I had to squeeze through for survival? A memory flashed through my head. Me… pressed in a car, pushed to my limit, my head bleeding and around me…Then, a voice from the distance and I flashed back to the present. “FIND HIM.”My breath came out shaky.This wasn’t over. Not even close. I needed to get out of here. And fast. Because whoever was behind this? They weren’t going to stop until I was dead.Slowly, I crept out of my hiding place and dove forward, running as fast as my legs could carry me. Then I kicked against something on the way and stumbled again, coughing and groaning as the pangs of pain spread around me.They had heard me. Pain. Exhaustion. Pure rage.I wasn’t sure which one was driving me forward anymore.The men chasing me had caught up fast, their silhouettes barely visible against the dim light of dawn creeping over the hills. My breath was ragged, my body sore from t
Max’s POVSabotage.That was the only explanation for everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. My missing passport. My stolen phone. The conveniently sabotaged bus. Someone was pulling strings to make sure I didn’t make it home today.Which meant I had to be smarter than whoever was playing this game.The driver had told everyone to stay inside for the night. “Best to just sit tight,” he had said. “No sense in wandering around in the middle of nowhere. We’ll get a mechanic out first thing in the morning.”And so, one by one, the passengers had settled in though many complaints emerged at first. The lights were dimmed, and people curled into their seats, using jackets and bags as makeshift pillows. The hum of low whispers faded into soft snores.I wasn’t planning on sleeping.Instead, I leaned back, watching the darkness outside. Every instinct in me screamed that staying here was a bad idea, but I didn’t have a better alternative—at least not yet.“Excuse me,” a vo
Sienna’s POVPain.That was the first thing I registered. A sharp, burning sensation shooting up my arm, a dull ache pounding in my skull. My eyelids fluttered, but the light was too bright, too harsh. Voices murmured around me, but they were distant, like they were coming from another world.“Sienna.”A familiar voice. Steady. Strong.I tried to open my mouth, but my throat was dry, my body heavy.“Sienna, stay with me.”I forced my eyes open, blinking against the blinding fluorescent lights. The first thing I saw was Harry, his face taut with concern as he hovered over me.“Harry,” I croaked.Relief flickered in his expression. “You’re awake.”I swallowed, my throat feeling like sandpaper. “What... happened?”Harry exhaled through his nose. “You don’t remember?”I tried to think, piecing together fragments of memory—the bath, the stinging pain, Hester’s smirk. My stomach twisted.“Hester,” I whispered.Harry’s jaw tightened. “Yeah. You walked right into her trap.”I closed my eyes
Max’s POVThe rhythmic hum of the bus should have been soothing, but it only made me more restless. I sat near the window, staring out into the pitch-black night, the dim glow of the bus’s interior lights barely cutting through the darkness outside.Something was wrong.Harry’s call had been cut off before he could tell me what had happened. My phone was destroyed. My passport had conveniently disappeared. And now, here I was, stranded on a bus in the middle of nowhere, heading toward a wedding that someone clearly didn’t want me to attend.Coincidence? Not a chance.I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. My gut told me this wasn’t random. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure I didn’t make it back home.The question was—who?Was it Hester? My charming, psychotic ex who had been wreaking havoc the moment she walked back into my life? Or maybe Julian, my ever-so-clever younger brother who was suddenly interested in my affairs again?Hell, maybe it was someone from Sien
Max’s POVI made it to the news station the next day. It was an even bigger platform, thanks to Ben. The whole world was watching. The host, a sleek, well-groomed man in his forties, shook my hand with the kind of practiced enthusiasm that came from years of dealing with powerful men.“Maxwell Hollandale,” he greeted. “Welcome.”I gave him a polite nod and took my seat, the cameras already rolling.“Let’s get straight to it,” the host said, turning toward the camera. “The internet has been ablaze with controversy surrounding your fiancée, Sienna Brooks. The leaked photos, the supposed scandal—can you tell us where you stand on all of this?”I leaned back slightly, exuding the calm, collected persona I had perfected over the years. “It’s simple,” I said. “Sienna is my fiancée. I love her. And the attacks she’s facing are nothing more than ghosts from our pasts trying to haunt us.”The host raised an eyebrow. “Ghosts?”I nodded. “People from my past, people from hers—when you’re in the
Sienna’s POVLiving with Hester was like being trapped in a house with a venomous snake—silent, lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. We stayed out of each other’s way as much as possible, but every time we crossed paths, the air thickened with hostility.The only good thing was that the wedding was fast approaching, and with Max away, I had become an unwilling but necessary part of the planning process. Moreover, it distracted me from people like Hester and other things that didn’t matter.It started with small things—meetings with florists, finalizing guest lists, reviewing seating charts. Every day, new visitors came to the house, and I was forced to smile and nod my way through endless conversations.Harry, thankfully, was my buffer.“Miss Brooks, we need to confirm the flower arrangements,” one of the planners, an overly enthusiastic woman named Deborah, chirped as she spread out pictures of bouquets on the coffee table.I blinked at the images. “They all look the sa
Max’s POVI woke up to the kind of chaos that would give most CEOs a heart attack. My phone was buzzing, notifications stacking up faster than I could clear them. Half-asleep, I swiped at the screen and immediately regretted it.The headline that stared back at me felt like a punch to the gut."SIENNA BROOKS POSTS HER OWN NUDE PHOTOS: WHAT IS SHE HIDING?"I sat up, scrolling furiously. Article after article. Picture after picture. The headlines were relentless. The comments were worse.What the hell was this?It didn’t take me long to figure out what had happened. Those weren’t real photos—any idiot could see they were edited. And there was no way Sienna had posted them herself. Someone had set her up.My jaw clenched as I tossed the phone onto the bed. I didn’t need to guess who was behind this. Hester’s fingerprints were all over it.Before I could think further, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Ben.“Max,” he said the moment I picked up. “Do you have any idea how bad this i